The demise of bacon is just a bottle of Baconnaise away

We tend to agree with Bon Apetit editor Andrew Knowlton who recently decried pork-hating bandwagon jumpers on Twitter: "Enough with all the 'pork is over' nonsense. Overdone? Perhaps. Overrated? Please."

That said, the era of bacon-mania is drawing to a close, having had its run as accoutrement to everything from chocolate to cherries to more pork.

There are a few things we predict will drive the final nail, rendering the fatty strips of meat breakfast sides and sparingly used garnishes.

1. Baconnaise. Bacon aioli, fine. Bacon fat vinaigrette? Sounds great. But the second Baconnaise hit the mass market, it was a sign that bacon-laced dressings have been stripped down to their most vulgar common denominator. This gnarly stuff doesn't even need to be refrigerated until after opening, but it's full of meat. Botulism? Trichinosis? What?

2. Maple Bacon Coffee. Breakfast in a cup! Of all the disgusting flavored coffees on the market, this has got to be one of the worst. There was a point when we were all for bacon on everything, but we have to draw the line somewhere. That line is at a beverage.

Anthony Amni

3. Fried Chicken. Battered and fried poultry is starting to pop up on menus all over. Looks like a new trend. Apparently, after years of consuming fried pork, we've finally decided to move onto another fried meat. Crispy chicken is the future. Bacon is so 2009.

4. The indubitable rise of the vegetable. Meatless Monday, the rise of Scandinavian cuisine, the locavore movement, and the sudden focus on produce means it's about time for vegetables to have their day in the sun, probably at the expense of pork fat. Probably because we all got so fat from bacon that we're feeling the need for a little fresh vegetable action.

5. The death of the cupcake. Bacon and cupcakes went hand in hand for awhile, with ribbons of pork belly topping chocolate and maple cakes at every shop in the city. Now that cupcakes are on their way out, though, bacon on dessert is feeling a little tired and overdone. We're sure we'll see some bacon on donuts, too, but wary bakers will likely be looking for other toppings--and using pork sparingly.

Get the Dining Newsletter

The week's top local food news and events, plus interviews with chefs and restaurant owners, dining tips, and a peek at our print review.